By our process one can synthesize 3,3-diphenylpropyl amines, such as those known from EP 325571. Those compounds may be tertiary or secondary amines.
Several synthetic approaches for preparation of such compounds have been described. For example 3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-phenylpropylamine may be prepared using relatively long synthetic sequence or special equipment. If desired, enantiomerically pure product is obtained either with the resolution of the enantiomers in the last step or the chiral synthesis.
However there is still a need for shorter, less expensive and more industrially applicable processes performed under milder conditions still remains.
Representative compound prepared according to our process: (+)-(R)-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-N,N-diisopropyl-3-phenylpropylamine, currently marketed as (+)-L-tartrate salt is an important urological drug, which acts as a selective muscarinic receptor antagonist. It is used for manufacturing of the medicament for treating the patients with overactive bladder showing symptoms of urinary frequency, urgency, or urge incontinence and can be used for treating asthma, COPD and allergic rhinitis. Also its metabolite a 5-hydroxymethyl compound exhibits antimuscarinic activity. Same 3,3-diphenylpropyl amines structure is also found in some other drugs, and those compounds obtained by our process may be used for manufacturing the medicament, when they are combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.